From the First Day

This post is going to help someone out there. That person might just be me but it’s going to help nonetheless!

Daniel 10:11-12 (Message/Amplified/NKJV)-“Daniel’, he said, “Man of quality, listen carefully to my message and get up on your feet. Stand at attention. I’ve been sent to bring you news.”…”Relax, Daniel,’ he continued, ‘don’t be afraid. From the moment you decided to humble yourself to receive understanding, your prayer was heard, and I set out to come to you. But I was waylaid by the angel-prince of the Kingdom of Persia and was delayed for a good three weeks…”

An angel appeared to Daniel 3 weeks after he prayed. Three weeks! 21 days! (Yes, I can do math in my head). If I had been Daniel, I might have been thinking, “Did God hear me? Did I do something wrong? Maybe I should pray again and say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ more. Maybe I should sacrifice something, show God I am serious, show God how good I am, show God how much I deserve an answer. God is far away. Maybe I should yell louder. Maybe he is on vacation. Three weeks and no answer? That is way too long. I asked all my friends and they say that is way too long. And they know God more than I do. Yeah, I’m done. I’m going to find my own way out of this hot mess before I become a hot mess.”

Daniel had issues. So, Daniel prayed. Daniel was heard the MOMENT he prayed. THE MOMENT! God hears you! God heard your prayer. God sees your heart. God knows what you need. And believe it or not, there is also an enemy who is trying to thwart your destiny. Don’t give up. Don’t bale. Don’t stop. Don’t look back. Don’t make excuses. Don’t look around and compare yourself with others. FROM THE FIRST DAY, you were heard. Not the second day. Not three years after God saw you were going to be faithful. THE FIRST DAY. You don’t see the big picture. But you can trust His heart. You can trust His timing. You can trust His leading, His guiding. He has reasons we don’t see. But you know what, He is good. He is good. He is good. He is good. He is good. He is good. And the definition of good is: kind, patient, caring, faithful, generous, loving, affectionate, available, incredibly understanding, thoughtful, etc. That’s my God.

I am not talking about a vending machine God. I am not talking about getting 50 cents worth of God. If all you want is a sack of the Almighty to satisfy you, then you are in the wrong place. HE IS GOD. He is amazingly gracious. You get in a relationship with Him and you won’t want to just keep doing the same things you have been doing. You will change your schedule, move things around, bend over backwards, plan ahead, say “no” to things you have been saying “yes” to because you just want to spend time with Him. Isn’t that what we all want? We want to spend time with people who are planning on us being there with them, doing everything possible to make sure we come, making sure we are comfortable, have everything we need?

I can go to Wal-Mart or I can go to Nordstrom. And there is a big difference between the two. One place is asking my name, making sure I am not holding too many clothes at one time, asking if I need different sizes, bringing in other clothes they think would look cute on me, helping me to relax and have a great time. And then there is Wal-Mart. Long lines, crowded aisles, products run out, no one knows where more are, people don’t smile, don’t care if you are there, and don’t care what your name is. I want to spend time with Nordstrom. Even if I don’t buy a thing, at least I was loved, accepted, and enjoyed. Wal-mart? No thank you. You have great prices and that’s it. I leave there just happy to be alive still.

God loves spending time with people who know His name, wanting to find out what pleases Him, anxious to hear what He has to say, anticipating Him, preparing for Him, not giving leftovers but giving the best. Because He gives His best and He wants to hear from you.

He hears you. He heard you the first time. Stop repeating what you already said with no thoughts except maybe “If I say this again, maybe I will get what I want”. Stop whining and meet your Maker. Meet Him in His Word. Get to know the Man intimately.

He has a plan. And He is working His Plan. What He promised, He will give. If He said it, He will do it. All the time, anytime, every time. Just give Him a chance. 🙂